Update: I was released from the ER on Wednesday with the diagnosis of a mass on my right ovary. I am much better now. The pain and tenderness had gone away. I am in the process of finding a specialist because everyone recommends I have it removed asap. Thank you for your love and prayers.

IWSG BOOK CLUB:For December and January we will be reading Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert. Discussion day will be January 23, 2019. JOIN US!

GOOGLE PLUS:

With Google+ being taken down come the New Year, Google+ profiles and groups
will disappear, and bloggers using Google+ for comments and/or profiles will
need to make changes.

NOTE:Google
accounts will not be impacted.

Blogger: If
you’re using Google+ for comments, in Blogger, go to "settings," click "posts, comments, and sharing," and scroll down to "Google
Plus Comments" and mark it as "No" for "Use Google+
comments on this blog." Which means people will then be commenting
directly on your blog. Unfortunately, Google+ comments may disappear from
your posts. So sorry!

If you’re using Google+ as your profile, in Blogger, go to "user
settings" under "settings" and change the profile from Google+
to Blogger, so when people click on your name/avatar, they'll go directly to your
Blogger profile (this is what mine does). You can update your profile by viewing your blog and clicking "View your complete profile" (if the profile
gadget was added to the layout) and then "edit profile" at the top of
the new page. This is where you can add a profile/avatar image if you don't already have one uploaded.For Blogger, if it says "(Google)" next to your name in comment boxes, you're good. That means you're logged into your Google account, which will not go away.

Wordpress:You can remove the “share to Google+ button”
by going to your Wordpress dashboard, “sharing,” “sharing buttons,” and “edit sharing
buttons.” You can also disconnect from sharing to Google+ under “connections.”
As far as commenting on Blogger accounts, try changing the “comment as” from “Google” to "Name/URL." That way people aren’t brought to
your Google+ profile, which probably won't exist.
They'll go straight to your blog/site, instead. The only thing is, you won’t have an
image/avatar that way.

Morning Pages are a tool in The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron. I talked about her book and this technique last year. See the post here.

What Are Morning Pages?

The idea is to write 3 hand-written pages as soon as you wake up, every day. Even before coffee. (Okay, so maybe while your coffee is brewing or while sipping coffee is okay.) You can write about how much you need coffee or just write “Today will be a good day” over and over again.

These pages are for you only and can be stupid, silly, or messy. You’re not supposed to be striving to write excellent prose here. So crossing things out is a no-no. Don’t worry about making these pages perfect. The point is to write.

Why Morning Pages?

1.You start the day writing, which is huge for someone going through burnout or block.

2. Beginning the day with a pen or pencil in your hand may prompt you to write more.

3.If you don’t manage to write anything else, at least you wrote your morning pages, which totally counts when you’re burned out.

So, I gave morning pages a try for the first time. I liked to write these pages while sitting up in bed, after first waking up, and Julia Cameron says to write before you do anything, but you can do whatever you feel is best, just as long as it’s soon after waking up. A sleepy brain is fine. Actually, when I’m sleepy, I get the best ideas, and maybe that’s the point.

The first day, I wrote about my previous day.

The second day, I wrote about how much I’m NOT a morning person.

The third day, I didn’t know what to write and rambled on about my to-do list.

But on that morning, I got an idea…

BACTINE #13: Prompts

If I can’t write about my previous day because nothing really happened, I want something to be on those pages than a whole lot of nothing. That’s how I thought of Morning Pages prompts, which I actually did not invent. lol

Why prompts?

1.They're a starting point to get your brain going, which is perfect for a writer hoping to spark an idea or looking for motivation to continue writing.

2. You're putting something on the pages, whether good or bad, that’s not a waste of space. They’re your thoughts/dreams, etc. on a specific topic.

3.You don’t have to worry about what to fill those 3 pages with, which could lead many writers to give up on morning pages. Just randomly pick a prompt or go down your list in order and let that prompt prod words out of your tired brain.

Prompts:

- When I wake up I see…

- This month/week/today I am looking forward to... (this one can be repeated)

141 comments:

Google+ is vanishing? I didn't know that. It never took off anyway. Those using Google+ as a follow widget in their sidebar also need to change it.Do three pages of blog comments first thing in the morning count? They are a step above gibberish.

That's true, the Google+ followers widget would also need to be removed. It could vanish on its own or not work later.

I share some of my writing guest posts to a few Google Plus groups, but other than that, I stopped doing anything there years ago. It could've been a neat little platform if it had gotten attention from its creators.

I like the idea of writing handwritten pages. I always use my laptop when writing the first draft. But when I go back the second time, I usually hand write a lot of scenes and add them. I'm such an underwriter. I didn't know about the Google plus vanishing. Ugh.

I completed the Artist's Way about eight years ago. It had a tremendous impact on my writing life. Morning Pages were hard, but inspiring. While I get up too early as it is now and can't commit myself to them, when ever I hit a dry spot in writing, I make myself do a version of Morning Pages. I sit and write stream of conscious until I've got 500 words down. Most of them end up being trash, but it looses up the brain. Artist's Dates are key too. Best wishes!

I didn't know Google+ was disappearing. I can understand why. I never found it useful. Oh, well. Thanks for co-hosting, Chrys. I haven't tried morning pages. I don't journal, either. I start off with good intentions then pfft. I forget. That would be helpful when I'm blocked or burned out. Thanks for the reminder. Have a great month.

I had no idea they were taking away Google+. Thanks for the heads up! And great suggestions about how to overcome writer's block. It helps when I do something that makes my brain chug faster in the mornings too. Usually I do a little puzzle game on my phone or tablet. Have a terrific holiday season!

I have tried morning pages and they can be wonderful, but at other times, I feel like I'm beating myself over the head with a "should" in the morning and I'm happier just writing a line or two, then coming back later. I'm more of a stretch out out on a yoga mat first, stare at the wood grains in the dining room table while drinking herbal tea and praying, , and I like to chase down my creative ideas, lists, and things first - so if I do that in my morning pages, it works, but sometimes, I do that better on little sticky notes. Then, I take a walk. Then, I write. Anyway, too long of an answer, but yes, morning pages (but not always first). And, prompts are awesome!

I used to earlier write my books by hand, now sadly I type straight on the computer, its faster. I had no idea that Google+ was vanishing. I never took to it. But sadly I had to create a profile on it as that was the only way I could comment on some blogs. Do I have to delete my Google+ profile?

Nope, you don't have to delete your profile...it'll just go away when they take it down. But you will have to delete any links to your Google Plus profile, if you added them to your bio and social media sites.

Thank you for those instruction on Google+. I would never figure out that kind of stuff on my own without lots of cursing. I never got into Google+, so maybe I'm in the clear, but it doesn't hurt to make sure.

I haven't been writing lately, so I need to do something. My problem is that I've got the idea that if I can't have a huge block on uninterrupted time, then why bother? Well, if that's the way life is going to be for the near future, then I've either got to rearrange my schedule, or learn to work in smaller bits and pieces of time.

Writing first thing off the bat probably wouldn't fly because there are two cats and two kids who seem to think they should get their breakfast right off the bat instead. Sheeshkabobs!

I never got into Google+. I always found it hard to find someone's actual blog when clicking on such profiles.

I still write some things by hand. It uses different parts of the brain, and can be very calming and cathartic. It's sad how handwriting has become such a dying art, with many people no longer even knowing cursive.

Thanks for the instructions for dealing with Google +. I'd changed my comments long ago, but hadn't thought about my profile (and might not have known how to fix my Blogger profile if you hadn't helped out).

I haven't tried morning pages, though I've read about them before. I think that I might want to give it a go, just because changing things up can help the creative juices. I'm not burned out, but I'm definitely a bit worn out from the writing pace of NaNo--and I'm not done. That what I have to do is the hard part--going back and working on holes--does make it harder to sit down and work each day.

Thanks for co-hosting this month. Thanks for sharing the Google+ info. It was so wonderful how you jumped right in and answered my question in the IWSG FB group. So glad I joined that as well as this hop. I've never tried morning pages, but that's probably because I have a pretty strict fall out of bed and pretend to do yoga regimine going. After laying face down on the floor for about 5 minutes I do end up finding myself in a basic yoga pose. Still, I love the idea of daily writing prompts. I used to do this and have no idea why I stopped. I think I will try it again. An author friend of mine wrote a book with 52 writing prompts (he called them affirmations) that I may have to dig up.

I have tried Julie Cameron's morning pages. In fact, my noodlings over my morning coffee have led helped me sort out plot knots and have generated some good lines I've used in my romance fiction. The only downside: I can easily eat up an hour or more just journaling. I wish you happy writing in December, and happy holidays.

I experimented with the morning pages a few years ago. It's a great tool for some writers, but not me. I never had any trouble doing a stream of conscious rambling on paper, but soon it became a chore. Instead, I use the first hour of the day to run or workout, because if I don't do it then, it's not getting done. Thanks for co-hosting today.

Thanks for the tips about commenting with Google+. I didn't realise I was until you commented, although earlier today I'd noticed the G+ symbol next to my comment on somebody's blog, for the first time.I wrote a piece last week about the impact of these privacy issues and Safari, since some of these Google fixes made Safari stop you commenting.. It all gets so complicated.

I've read The Artist's Way and I've done the three pages in the morning. I like doing them, though I don't, now, do them every day. I found that having to "find" something to write about was the point of doing them. That made my brain have to find new things to write about and I think that's what the idea was behind them to begin with. I purposely didn't use a prompt because that way my brain went into "freeflow" and I was able to then write about literally anything that popped into my head. Sometimes it was about my kids. Sometimes about the view out the window. It didn't matter, but it freed something up in my brain which allowed me to think "outside" the box. Great post! Thank you so much for the heads up and info on Google+. I didn't realize it was in January. Thanks for co-hosting, and, I love your Bactine posts!

Well, I never could find anything to write about. And that can be the problem for many people that gets them giving up when they've barely begun. I believe Morning Pages can be adapted to what works for you. The prompts still allow free-thought for that prompt, which can be randomly selected.

I have tried Morning Pages, but they ended up just being a journal entry of how much I hated my day job at that time. I didn't find they fuelled my creativity, so I stopped.

Thanks for the info about Google+. I've had huge issues commenting on Blogger blogs for a while now because of issues with it not recognizing my Google+ profile. I have to switch to Chrome in order to comment on most IWSG blogs, because the vast majority still use Blogger.

However, try as I might, I couldn't find the User Settings or Post, Comments, and Shares under my Google + settings or account settings. Where can one find this? Thanks, C!

Thank you for the information. I've been having problems not being able to post on certain blogs, especially Blogger blogs with Safari. Tonight, I was finally able to solve the problems. It was scary because I kept leaving comments on IWSG blogs but they weren't going through. Wishing you a Merry Christmas. Shalom aleichem,Pat G

Thank you for the info on Google +. I didn't realize they would be taking it down. Even though it never gets much traffic, it's a beautiful layout for anyone who does visit. I have tried morning pages, but due to arthritis, writing longhand is quite painful for me, so my best intentions always fizzle out. I love the concept, though. I hope all got sorted at the ER. Your blog impressed me so much I decided to follow. Have a great week!

Morning pages, a nice idea, I'll give it a try, maybe over the festive season when I don't have to leap straight out of bed and into the shower for work! I don't very often write by hand I'm afraid, I think it's because I don't really like my handwriting! Hope all ok with your ER appointment too.

Happy Holidays, Chrys! Thanks for the inspiration here :) Yes, I did morning pages many years ago when I read and LOVED the book. I should get back to it. One thing I do regularly is write down any vivid dream I may have had, first thing in the morning (while my coffee is brewing). It's a similar exercise and makes you think about how to express the bizarre events of a dream. I'm not very good at prompts. As soon as someone asks a question, I tend to go a little blank. LOL. Thanks for the tips re: G+ I had heard little about this situation. I really am not on there much so won't miss it. I don't think it was a big traffic draw to my site.

I never made much use of Google Plus anyway. It was too hard for someone to find my blog if I commented on theirs. So, no big loss.

I've always hated writing longhand. I get the worst writer's cramp, so I can't write for long. Morning pages wouldn't work for me generally. I wake with just enough time to get ready to go out for my day. Over the years, I've considered getting up an hour or so early to do things before work and such. I make the plan. I set the alarm. And when that alarm goes off, whatever I was planning to do isn't such a priority after all.

Oh gosh, I'm sorry to read you are/were at the ER. I hope all is well by the time you are seeing this. Hugs!A friend has recommended the Gilbert and I've been meaning to read it, so this is a great reminder for me. Take care, Chrys!

I'm not a morning person either, but I always keep a notebook by the bed and write first thing when I wake up until my dog insists I get out of bed. Great post. Happy Holidays, and thank you for co-hosting!

Sorry that you are at ER. Hope everything is okay. Glad I never moved to Google + and I just checked my comments. It already says no to Google + comments. Your instructions were really helpful. One less thing to figure out!

I am a morning person! Groggier than I used to be (thanks to E meds)but still a morning person.Loved all this information, the Google info definitely interests me. Not because I was into + but in general usage ;-)Don't hang out in ER too long, Lady Chrys. People get sick there ;-)

I had no idea about the whole Google+ thing disappearing. Since I have a WordPress blog, I use my Google profile to comment on Blogger blogs. My name with this comment says "Google" though and not Google+. I better look into this. Thanks for the tips.

I've heard of Morning Pages, but have never done them, since I write a diary every evening, and have been for 30 years. Hard to give that up. If I'd do morning pages, I would like to use prompts as well. That's a good idea. But, I would want to write about productive things, sentences that I could either use in a book, blog or my diary later on. I know that's not the point.

Also, doing this hand-written would be tough, as I would want to keep my written material, and don't have space to store it. I consciously changed from a handwritten diary into an electronic one three years ago. Mmmm...

Anyway, thanks for co-hosting, and I hope the ER visit was not too serious and that you both and your kids are all OK.

I don't know if morning pages would work for me every day since I get up at 4:30 for work and I'm basically a zombie! I may try something like that tomorrow on my day off, though.Hope you're feeling better after the ER visit.

Some people don't have the time in the morning. Me? I'm not a morning person, but maybe writing a few pages before bed may work? It could start us off right once we wake up, having written just before going to sleep.

I remember hearing about Google+, but I haven't posted much there in a long time, so the change won't affect me much. Heck, it might have been months before I even noticed it was gone. I think the biggest effect will be on those IWSGers whose profiles point to Google+, which I always found confusing.

Good luck with the ER! And don't worry about the co-hosting. You've got more important things to worry about!

I was never a fan of Google+, I didn't like the way it made it all about the commenter and their circle of friends, rather than about the blog they're commenting on. Thanks for the info, though, and I checked my settings to confirm Google+ was not enabled.

As for morning pages, I've heard similar concepts before and I know they work well for many people. The thing to watch is that you don't put undue pressure on yourself and add to the burnout instead of relieving it. As for feeling blocked, my approach these days is to use introspection to tease out what's missing from the story ... what is my subconscious mind baulking at? Find the answer to that, and the block usually evaporates.

First, I hope the mass in your arm is nothing to worry about too much. And if it happens to be, that the treatment is not too hard on you... and that it works.

Then to writing without coffee... Are you mad? I can't even find my head without coffee. Those pages will stay blank forever. Seriously though, I write first thing in the morning. My brain likes it--with coffee. And like you suggests, I start while the magic stuff is brewing. I'm usually pretty okay to just come up with something, but some days... I, too, go for the prompts.

Morning Pages sounds nice. I have a journal where I write about everything in my life. I do have a procrastination relationship with my edits right now: i'm preparing to submit my trilogy to a publisher. Not sure why I'm dragging my feet about it. ugh

Have a wonderful holiday season!:snowflake: ❄️Wishing you and your loved ones peace, health, happiness, and prosperity in the coming New Year. Thank you for your kindness and caring.

Sorry to hear about your ER trip. Hope removing the mass is going well. I got a copy of the book (it came in some pretty wrapping paper). So I'm reading along.I never understood Google Plus, but I get a lot of "+1" there, so it is kind of a bummer. And yeah, I didn't think about the commenting. Blarr.

I'm not much for writing by hand. But getting three pages out first thing sounds interesting.

Completely forgot I read/heard somewhere that Google+ was going to disappear. Thanks for sharing changes we can make.I have two kids to deal with in the morning so don't think morning pages would work for me. Unless I wake up earlier. Which will be hard to do as I cherish the brief hours of peace and quiet from when the kids are in bed. And I have the house to myself. Hence, I stay up a little later than I should.Thanks for co-hosting this month. And Happy New Year!

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